Redemption Saga
by Ardros Pancake Avenger
Summary: A dying Toa returns to his homeworld and finds adventure as he defends it from a slew of threats. Now, he has to train a new Toa, and escape his dying land, as well as confront the ghosts of his past.
1. Hero of Agra Nui

Jaaryn lay, moaning, on the ground. The protodermis had retreated, but he was in shock. He felt weak and hurt, like something was coursing through his veins. His mask was cracked and broken, his Fire Hacker was destroyed, and his whole body felt like it was on fire.

But that was nothing compared to the pain inside.

He'd been betrayed.

"Jaaryn!" yelled his partner. "Look out!"

Jaaryn turned to look at Aru. Toa of Water, she had the ability to change colors and mask shape, thanks to her Mask of Camouflage. His mask did something much different.

He turned to the molten protodermis and smiled. "So you want to play dirty, eh?" He triggered his mask, exploding a mountain behind him. The rubble fell, blocking the molten liquid's path. It only took a minute, however, for the protodermis to get through.

Jaaryn and Aru were completely unprepared. He watched someone swoop down and rescue Aru, but no one came for him. And in his last moments of life, he knew that he'd been betrayed.

Jaaryn painfully got to his feet. Two of his limbs pulsed green. His mask felt powerless - a quick test confirmed that. His once powerful Fire Hacker was now a useless piece of metal.

And his team had left him to die.

* * *

_Once, the brave Toa defeated Makuta._

_But Makuta struck back_

_He sent a shadow throughout the land_

_One that the Toa were powerless to stop_

_But new Toa came along_

_And with their help, the Matoran were saved._

So went the old tale. Jaaryn knew it front to back.

And waited for his own team of new Toa.

Jaaryn steered his boat closer to the shore of the island. Though he had once been a Toa of Fire, his powers were all but gone, and water merely a refreshing drink. Thus, he sailed with ease.

As he got closer, he could tell that he'd arrived at his destination. It was the island he'd lived on before Copan Nui. It was where he had become a Toa. It was Agra Nui.

It was his home.

Jaaryn dismounted near the north shore. The former Toa ate a ration bar and continued on. Marching through the pass, he heard a scream and looked. A Matoran was being terrorized by a brute with a sword. Jaaryn ran forward and slammed his sword into the creature's back. It screamed and crumpled.

The Matoran looked up at him in awe. "What's your name?"

It seemed like a lifetime ago since he had used his name. "Jaaryn. Toa Jaaryn."

The Matoran's face broke into a grin. "All hail Jaaryn, Hero of Agra Nui!"

Back at the stronghold, the Matoran, Zhengu, explained what had happened. "For years, Agra Nui has been under the power of a warlord named Hiolin. He terrorizes us and kills Matoran for sport. We thought...we thought we were alone."

Jaaryn felt touched by Zhengu's emotion. And he swore, right then and there, to be there for Agra Nui.

* * *

Jaaryn was going to die.

He could feel it in his bones it was his time. The swarm rushed on, and he grew dizzy, and right before Zhengu's eyes, he collapsed.

Hours later, he awoke in the resistance stronghold. Zhengu had brought him to the building after he'd defeated Hiolin, as Agra Nui's sole protector. Something didn't feel right, though...

He heard Zhengu's voice, and a voice he didn't recognize, too deep to be a Matoran's. _So he's betrayed me,_ thought Jaaryn. _I'm not above killing Matoran for revenge._

Zhengu walked into the room, followed by a Toa Jaaryn didn't recognize. Just a Toa, nothing evil. Jaaryn realized that the Toa must have been the voice he'd heard.

"Are you alright?" Zhengu was asking. "You took a pretty hard fall. I was afraid that Agra Nui would be overrun by the Makutoids, but then Matoro here showed up and chased them away. It was awesome! You should've seen him go. He blasted something yellow out of his staff, and they all just...died."

Matoro. The name rung a bell, but Jaaryn couldn't figure out why for the life of him. Then...

"IMPOSTOR!" yelled Jaaryn. "The REAL Matoro died to save the Great Spirit's life. You're nothing but a fake."

Matoro didn't seem shaken. "I did die, but my spirit has returned, as Mata Nui's has been exiled."

Jaaryn got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What do you mean?"

"The Plan has come to fulfillment.

"Teridax has taken over the universe."

* * *

The group, consisting of Jaaryn, Matoro and Zhengu, trudged up the slope. Zhengu, out scouting, had seen a threat beyond the horizon: Rahkshi. Big, mutant ones; apparently, Matoro had been right about Teridax. Now, the Toa climbed to meet their foe, with Zhengu carrying medical supplies and extra weapons.

Jaaryn's muscles cracked with every step, and his green-tinged limbs made the trek hard. But he would not give up. He had made a vow to be Agra Nui's protector, and be that protector, he would.

Gosh, I sound like Yoda, he thought, then shrugged it away, because he didn't know what a "Yoda" was.

They reached the top of the mountain to see total chaos. Many Matoran lay dead, others injured. Giant Rahkshi prowled, looking for their next victim. One of them spotted the group, and quickly attacked. Jaaryn parried the large silver creature's spear, while trying to avoid the poison blasts from a squad of normal-sized Lehrak that flanked it. Matoro just stood there, murmuring; his spear was gathering energy. Zhengu was frozen with terror. Then, without warning, the beast smashed into Jaaryn's midsection, knocking him unconscious and sending him to the far side of the mountain. Then, it unleashed a blast of pure energy, which hit Zhengu square in the chest. The Matoran fell to the ground.

Matoro glanced at is friend, lying motionless. Then, he looked in the direction Jaaryn had flown. He readied his sword and fired. Instantly, the Rahkshi dropped to the ground and the wounded were healed; Matoro noticed that Zhengu did not get up.

The funeral was short and brief. Matoro, Jaaryn, and a Matoran called Zyphex each said a few words, and then Jaaryn burned the body on a classic pyre.

But he would never forget this day.

Makuta had taken his friend. He had made the war personal.

And he would pay.

* * *

They were coming.

Makutoids, little insectoids, swarmed over Agra Nui. No one was on the surface. It seemed they had won.

Underneath the island, Jaaryn and Matoro hid with the Matoran in catacombs Makuta did not know about. One of them, a troublemaker named Ardros, frequently tried to leave and fight. Though he was skilled with a blade, Jaaryn knew that a Matoran against Makutoids would mean quick death for the Matoran. He also knew that he would have to do something.

"Matoro, get them off the island," said Jaaryn. "There are boats at the end of the tunnel."

Matoro opened his mouth to protest, but Jaaryn silenced him. "They need to be evacuated, and you're in better shape to do it. You get them out. I'm just an old cripple no one will miss when I'm gone." Then he left.

Matoro knew, with some degree of certainty, that he would never see his friend again.

Jaaryn emerged on the surface. It was covered in the little insects. As one, they turned to him. He tried to blast fire, but nothing came out. They came for him.

He didn't make a sound. He didn't even scream.


	2. Tides of Chaos

Jaaryn closed his eyes.

The swarm, angered, rushed towards him. His infections spread as his whole body warped. His mask, drained of color, was cracked and wrecked. He braced himself for the worst.

It never came.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

A green Toa, disfigured but not on his level, had lifted him onto a rock. Her mask and body were unfamiliar, but her face he knew all too well.

"You!" he screamed angrily, and launched himself at her. She couldn't dodge in time, and his sword struck her armor. It shattered.

Jaaryn looked at the now-useless piece of metal he was holding and tossed it aside. Grabbing a launcher that was resting on the ground, he fired it twice. Two balls of superheated plasma flew out and struck the Toa. She stumbled, but caught herself and looked up at him.

"What's wrong, Jaaryn?" asked Toa Aru. "Don't you want to see your old friend again?"

---------

The last boat docked, and Matoro and several Matoran got off. The island was uninhabited, save for a few Rahi, and would be a good place to hide until he could find a permanent home for the Matoran.

Not for the first time, he thought of Jaaryn. The fire Toa had given up his life to give Matoro and the Matoran a chance to live. Matoro had once done something similar, but the death of his friend still hurt nonetheless.

---------

Not for the first time, Jaaryn thought of Matoro. He had shaken Aru and was hiding in the former Resistance headquarters. It was the one place the Makutoids hadn't found yet.

A sound made him jump. Jaaryn lifted his launcher and turned. It was only a Ta-Matoran, orange and crimson, wearing a Miru and carrying a rusted blade. Jaaryn knew the face but couldn't place the name. He decided to be cautious. "State your business."

"Jaaryn?" asked the Matoran in awe. "Is it really you? They left me behind!"

Jaaryn recognized the Matoran now. He was Ardros, the leader of the Ta-Matoran faction of the Resistance. Jaaryn decided to help him. "Come on. I'm trying to escape, too."

The odd pair made their way through the catacombs under Agra Nui. Jaaryn led, with Ardros following close behind. They eventually emerged in the chamber from which Matoro had launched the boats. One boat was left. But there was someone standing in it.

"I knew you'd come," said Aru quietly.

Jaaryn gave an inhuman scream of rage and ran towards her, firing his launcher. A burst of water neutralized the projectiles. But a loud splash distracted them both.

Ardros had fallen in the launch pool.

Before their startled eyes, he began to change. He grew taller. The fingers on one hand elongated into claws. His blade became a crisp, sharp sword.

He was a Toa.

He strode calmly out of the water, up to Jaaryn and Aru. He slashed his sword. And Aru screamed and fell backwards into the water.

Watching her dissolve, Jaaryn felt like laughing.

The new Toa of Fire looked at the old. "We should get out of here."

Jaaryn, now stunned by his old enemy's death, could only nod.

---------

Matoro stared at the horizon. He had decided to stay on the new island. He called it Ratag Nui.

Now, a boat sailed closer. It had no one in it, but when it washed ashore, he had a blue youth named Bedura check it out. Inside were some provisions and weapons that had clearly come from Agra Nui, a broken sword, and this note:

We come.


	3. Inevitable Destruction

Aru rose from the protodermis. Despite what Ardros and Jaaryn thought, she was not dead. She hadn't even mutated, like that freak Ardros. Because she was a Toa of Water, she had held her breath and hidden until her foes had left. Now, she was ready.

But first, she had to alert her partner to what she had found. Switching to a Kanohi Suletu, she tapped Inuju's mind. "Inuju? You'll never guess who I found."

---------

Jaaryn couldn't believe the island that Matoro had found to house the Matoran. It was lush and spacious, with jungles guarding the perimeter and a large village nestled within. He saw a boat resting on the shore, and knew that the preliminary supply boat he and Ardros had sent out had arrived. Ardros's note was gone, as were the provisions, so he was sure someone had gotten the boat.

He wished that Ardris was here, but the youth had gone in search of Metru Nui, in hopes of defeating Makuta. Jaaryn had no illusions that Ardros would return, and he already mourned his friend. However, he hoped that he would see his friend again.

_Either that, _he thought, _or one of us will be sent to the grave early._

---------  
After a few minutes of searching, he managed to get to the Matoran village. It was large, on scale with Metru Nui, and a sign gave the name as Ratag Nui.

A lone guard stood sleeping at the entrance, a Matoran of Water that Jaaryn didn't recognize. As he walked up, the guard began to stir, and though Jaaryn's armor was cracked and broken and his mask was deformed, she recognized the Toa immediately.

"Jaaryn? Is it really you?" she asked. When Jaaryn nodded, she raised a megaphone that guards were given and yelled into it, "Jaaryn's back!!!" As curious villagers exited their huts, she turned back to him. "I'm Bedura," she said. "Hey, do you know what happened to Ardros? He's my brother."

Jaaryn nodded. "He's fine." He didn't want to go into the details of the young Toa's fate. "I'm sure you'll see him soon." Then he reached into his bag and pulled out a mask he had found on the shore. "Take this. I have no need for it." He walked into the village then, leaving Bedura alone.

That was when she started to grow.

---------

Ardros was not dead.

He stared into the darkened building that was once the Coliseum. Somewhere under there, he knew, his foe waited.

"Makuta!" he ventured bravely. "Show yourself!" Muffled footsteps sounded behind him.

Suddenly, a jarring pain caused him to collapse. The Exo-Toa looked at its partner, then lifted the unconscious Toa. Soon, he would worry Makuta no longer.

---------

"Usually, when you sacrifice yourself for the good of your people, you stay sacrificed."

The words came from Matoro, who was speaking to Jaaryn for the first time since the fire Toa's arrival. Now, they were together, though the meeting wasn't proceeding as Jaaryn had planned.

"This coming from Mr. Toa of Life," Jaaryn shot back with a smirk.

They stared warily at each other for about a minute. Then, they both broke into a laugh and hugged.

"Good to see you again," Matoro laughed. Jaaryn just smiled.

Then, a noise distracted them. They looked around, but it was coming from outside. They lifted their weapons.

"Time to head out," Jaaryn said with a grin.

---------

A large Skakdi was the cause of the sounds. He was causing destruction in the village square and being fought by two female Toa. Jaaryn couldn't identify either of them from the distance, but he knew the Skakdi.

He turned to Matoro. "Hiolin," he said grimly.

"You…know him?" Matoro asked in disbelief.

"My first threat on Agra Nui," replied Jaaryn quickly. The tale of his history with Hiolin was not one he was eager to repeat, especially because parts of it were lost to him. "I thought I killed him."

"You should know by now—no one on Agra Nui stays dead."

Jaaryn turned in disbelief to Matoro, only to find a smirk-Matoro was joking.

They ran into the town, after Jaaryn's mortal foe.

---------

Foes, it turned out, as one of the Toa was none other than Aru. He didn't waste time thinking about how she had survived. The other looked like Bedura. But he didn't care about her.

"Aru!" he yelled.

She turned. "Jaaryn, your fight isn't with me, it's with-" That was when she fell to Hiolin's foot.

Not very amazing, as last words go.

---------

Bedura was the one to tell Matoro what had happened.

She fought Hiolin with Jaaryn until Matoro arrived. But slightly before, Hiolin had touched their minds. He knew what would cause them pain. Then he crushed Jaaryn.

As he listened to Bedura's tale, he grew sad, as he knew that there was no escape this time for his friend.

---------

They burned the bodies. Hiolin's, of course. Bedura had gotten him, stabbed him in the ribs several times. Aru's too.

Jaaryn's, they saved. They would hold a funeral for later.

And Matoro would be able to figure out how to say his final goodbye to his friend.


	4. Random announcementthing from me

Matoro shall be explained in a later chapter. For those who are curious, there will be six chapters. Thanks for all of the compliments, and the criticisms. TasumiDreamer: I have one planned, yes. Rusty Red Raptor: Your review was rather well thought out, and I appreciate that, especially criticisms. Copan Nui? I think you mean Ratag Nui. Unless my word processor really messed up…


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